Printing mechanism.



E. G. ERNST.

PRINTING MECHANISM- APPLICATION IILED 11113.21, 190s. RENEWED OUT. 27, 1909.

$991,203. Patented May 2, 1911.

'III] #1 L Minedued. fizz/anion E. G. ERNST. PRINTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 190B. RENEWED 0M. 27, 1 09.

Patented May 2, 1911.

5 SHEET8SHEET 2.

E. G. ERNST. PRINTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1908. RENEWED OCT. 27, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

- 5 SHEBTS-SHEET 3.

Wit" 66660 E. G. ERNST.

PRINTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1908. RENEWED 001'. 27, 1909.

991,203., I Patented May 2, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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PRINTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.21, 190a. RENEWED 00:0. 27, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

"rs s'rnans PATENT enrich. A

EDWARD G. ERNST, F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PRINTING MECHANISM.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed March 21, 1908, Serial No. 422,448. Renewed October 27, 1909. Serial No. 524,965.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD G. ERNST, a :itizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Printing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The entire invention, as hereinafter described, will be most useful in connection with machines adapted for printing circular letters which simulate type written letters. These machines as they have heretofore been constructed print the circular letters but do not print thereon the names and addresses of the various parties to whom they are to be sent; neither do they print such addresses on the envelops in which said letters are to be sent.

The object of this invention in its completeness is to provide a printing machine of the sort specified with means whereby as it prints the circular letters, it will print severally thereon the names and addresses of the parties to whom they are to be sent, and will in the same order print said names and addresses on envelops in which the letters are to be sent. But the invention is also adapted for use for printing the successive addresses on circular letters printed on another machine, and on the envelops therefor.

The drawings show two forms in which the invention may be embodied, both of which have been worked out with special reference to adapting the inventions to a well known circular letter printing machine without requiring much modification in the construction of that machine.

The invention consists in the combination of parts shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and definitely set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view partly in section of a duplicating machine equipped with the 1nvent1on,-the parts being shown in the positions they occupy when the printing cylinder has been turned about one-quarter of a revolution from the position it occupies when it draws an address slug from the slug magazine. Fig. 2 1s a right end View 'of the machine. Fig. 3 1s a sectional view in the plane indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 1. Figs. 2 and 3 show; the cylinder in the position it occupies when it is i about to draw an address slug from the slug magazine. Fig. 4 is a View showing the printing cylinder in section in the plane indicated by line 44 on Fig. l and showing a right end View of the fixed cylinder B. This View shows the printing cylinder in the position it occupies when printing the address on a letter. Fig. 5 is a sectional view in the plane indicated by line 5-5 on Fig. 1. Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, show a modified embodiment of the invention,-Fig. 6 being a front elevation thereof with the slug magazine and slugs therein shown in section. Fig. 7 is a sectional view in the plane indi cated by line 7 on Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a right end View of the machine shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 is a front view of the right end of said machine. -Fig. 10 is a sectional view in the plane of line 10 on Fig. 6. Figs. 7 to 10 show the mechanism when the printing cylinder has been turned about onequarter of a revolution from its position when an address slug is drawn from the slug magazine. Fig. 11 is a bottom view of an address slug adapted lor use with the specific form of machine shown in Figs. 6 to 10; and Fig. 12 is a bottom view of a slug adapted for use with the other form of machine.

Referring now to the specific construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, A represents a rotatable hollow cylinder within which is a fixed concentric cylindrical drum B. In the specific embodiment shown, this drum B isfixed at one end to a standard F; and the cylinder A is rotatably supported by antifriction bearings upon said drum. A concentric shaft H is rotatably supported in standard F, and in the drum B. The cylinder A is fixed to this shaft, as is also a crank 71,, by which the cylinder may be turned. I

In the surface of the cylinder A is a shallowdepression a which extends through a 'short are around the cylinder. At what may be called the rear end of this depression is an abrupt shoulder a, but the front end of this depression gradually rises to the plane of the surface of the cylinder. See Fig. 3). The part of the cylinder A to the left of this depression is the address printing member A, and the partto the right of said depression is the envelop printing member A ,:a part which might be omitted if the machlne were not organizedv for addressing envelops. As bef0re stated, this specific construction -as t e case may be.

was designed particularly with reference to its use in connection with a well known type of circular letter printing machine. The cylindrical member A may, therefore, be provided with longitudinal dove tail grooves for the reception of properly arranged type, and be in that respect, as wellas in some others, substantially like thesaid'machine;

But any suitable means may be provided for holding a properly arranged form of type upon the member A, or said member may have no means for this purpose. In the surface of member A is also a longitudinal groove a which communicates with the recess a. In the surface of the member A is another similar groove a which also communicates with recess a and extends therefrom across member A to the right end thereof. The rear walls of these two grooves are substantially right and left continuations of the abrupt rear wall a of .the recess a. The width of these grooves measured around the cylinder is equal to the width of the address slugs T which they are to receive and hold.- The length of the groove a is such as to permit each slug T to be moved into proper relation to the type form on the member A. These slugs are to be stacked in a magazine K which is fixed above the plane of the recess a. The magazine has no bottom, wherefore, the bottom slug of the stack will rest upon the surface of the cylinder. Each slug has on its top surface printingcharacters which spell the name and mailing address of. some party to whom a circular letter is to be sent; and also, preferably the ,words Dear sir or Gentlemen, The front and rear edges of these slugs are dove-tailed, and the front and rear edges of the grooves a and a.

are correspondingly undercut. The lower surface of each of these slugs is fashioned to engage with the device by which the slug is moved lengthwise of the cylinder into and out of the grooves a a The slugs adapted for use in the form of the machine now being described are shown in has a hole in its bottom.

On the inside of cylinder A is a longitudinal slideway a forthe reception of a slide D. A slot a establishes communication between this slideway and the grooves a a and the recess a. A bar'J is fitted in and extended radially through a hole in this slide and into the slot a through which it may project when required, as hereinafter .described. The inner-end of this bar has a ball-shaped head j, which lies ,in an undercut cam groove b in the drum B, The shape of this cam groove is substantially shown in Fig'. 1. This groove, however, is deeper in a certain part of its length than in others, and when i the head j reaches the deepened part of the groove the bar J is drawn inward so that it no longer projects above the bottom surface the groove a to the Fig. 12, and each of the recess a. It will be so withdrawn when the cylinder, in its rotation, is moving the recess a under the bottom slug in the magazine. It is evident that, as this is taking place,-'the stack of slugs in the magazine will move down slightly, because the lower slug will keep its place against the bottom surface of this gradually deepening recess a. When the rear shoulder a of this recess comes againstv the rear side of this bottom 7 slug, it will ush it along carrying it beneath the lower e ge of the magazine. In the bottom of the recess a is a spring dog a which is pressed outward by a light spring. The weight of the slugs ward, but after it has passed from under the slug it will fly up in front of the bottom slug and thereafter serve as .a guide for the front edge of said slug, when the slug is. being moved lengthwise of the cylinder. 3

As the cylinder rotates from the position in which bar J is drawn inward as described, the cam groove 1) will resume its normal depth, and the bar J will be thrust outward so that its outer end will enter the hole t in the said slug. ,As the cylinder continues to rotate, the slide D will be moved to the left by the cam groove 6, and thereby the slug will be moved to the left and carried into proper position therein, where it will be when the cylinder has been turned to the printing positionthat is to say, where it will pass the platen roll M. As the cylinder continues to rotate this slide will be moved tothe right carrying the slug with it said slug moving out of groove a across recess a and into the groove 0. When it reaches this position the cam groove 7) is deepened so as to withdraw the bar J inward, leaving the slug in the position referred to, where it will print during the next revolution of the cylinder on an envelop fed between it and the platen roll M. As the cylinder A goes on to complete its revolution this slide D will be moved to the left and will be in the first position referred to when the revolution is'completed, and will then take the next slug through the same path. It is evident, therefore, that a circular letter may be printed during each revolution, and so will an envelop, but the envelop printed by a certain slug will be printed in the revolution next following that in which the same slug prints the address on the associated letter. During thelatter part of the.

second revolution, the slug which .was used for printing-the address on a letter will be pushed agalnst the slug which'was used for printing an envelop, and the latter slu'g will.

be pushed toward the end of the member-A The third slug to be used will push these two along and will push the. first one out of the right end of groove a and entirely ofl of the member A. ,When the slugs are pushed out of the groove a they may be- 3O will force this dog-in- 8 dropped onto any suitable inclined receiver by which they may be led into suitable stacking devices. I

' In certain types of duplicating machines 5 the type is 'not inked, but, instead, an inking ribbon is stretched over the type between it and the platen roll. The present invention is, as before stated, adapted to be used with such a machine, and O, O in Fig. 4 represents the familiar ribbon rolls of the member A. A ribbon P is also provided to be used in connection with the envelop printing member A If the slugs carry the words Dear sir or Gentlemen, it is not desirable that they should be printed on the envelop. In order that it may not be printed, it requires some arrangement of the inking ribbon other than that which has been heretofore employed. A suitable arrangement for this purpose is shown in Fig. 1, wherein the two ribbon spools P, P are mounted on member A lwo wire deflectors S, S are secured to the member, and the ribbon passing from spool P goes around the deflector S and thence over all of the printed characters on the slug except the words Dear sir or Gentlemen Thence the ribbon goes around the deflector S to the spool P. It is evident that by this arrangement of the ribbon the words Dear sir or Gentlemen will not be inked and will not, therefore, print on the envelop.

By the use of the described machine circular letters and associated envelops bearing the proper address inscriptions may be printed, and letters and envelops delivered in stacks in corresponding order, so that the mailing clerk who puts the letters in the envelop will have simply to fold the top letter and put it in the top envelop.

Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, show a modified embodiment of the invention. It includes the fixed drum B and rotatable cylinder A carrying the address the printing member A, and the envelop printing member A At the place where the recess a is formed in the surface of cylinder A in the first described device, a hole a is cut-through the cylinder, which hole extends a little more than one-quarter around the cylinder, and has its front edge. beveled inward. The magazine is arranged over this part of the cylinder, and the slugs rest upon the cylinder until the cut out part thereof passes beneath the magazine, when they drop through the said hole and thereafter rest upon the surface of the inner fixed drum B. Upon this drum is a cam shaped rib b which engages in a central recess t in the lower surface of each slug. (See Fig. 11). As the cylinder A is turned the rear wall of the hole in the cylinder engages with the rear face of the slug and carries it around. The cam rib 5 moves it lengthwise into the (JI'OQVQS a, a, which are likewise cutthrou h cylindrical members A, A The cylinger B extends beyond the right end of the cylinder A a distance equal to the length of the slugs, and the cam rib is carried onto this extended portion about half way down its front side. The slugs will fall olf this end of the cam rib onto a suitable chute Q, by which they may be led to a magazine in which they will stack themselves in the same order in which they were in the magazine from which they were drawn. In this embodiment of the invention a slightly different arrangement of inking ribbon for the envelop cylinder is desirable. Three deflectors are employed, and the ribbon spool P is mounted on member A in line with and substantially at right angles to the rib: bon spool P.

Any suitable friction reducing devices may be employed in the machines described,especially for the purpose of re ducing the friction incident to the movement. of the slugs or the device which moves them. For example ant-ifriction balls may be interposed between the slide D and its guicleway in the form of the invention first described. Or antifriction rollers a may be mounted in the cylinder A in such position that the rear edgeof each slug may slide against them. (See Fig. 7.)

As before stated, it is quite evident that this invent-ion may be embodied in a variety of specific forms, and the primary invent-ion is not limited to either specific construction shown in the drawings and heretofore described.

The machine need not-'be organized for printing the circular letter, or type for printing such letter need not be secured on the printing drums. In that case the machine will print addresses on envelops and on letters printed in some other machine.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a printing machine, the combination of a slug support, a slug magazine arranged above the support to embrace a pile of slugs of which the bottom slug rests upon said support, a rotatable type carrying member provided with means for holding an address slug, means for periodically withdrawing the lower slug from the magazine and moving it circumferentially with said rotatable member, and a cam device arranged circumferentially around the axis of said rotatable member and adapted to engage a slug as it is withdrawn from said magazine and to move it longitudinally into the embrace of the holding means on the rotatable member, and to subsequently move said slug longitudinally in the reverse direction out of the embrace of said holding means before the rotatable member has completed its cycle.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of'a rotatable cylinder having in its surface a longitudinal slug holding recess which extends to the end of the cylinder, a support adjacent to the end of said cylinder, means for periodically depositing a slug upon said support and for moving it concurrently with the printing cylinder around the axis thereof, and means for simultaneously moving said slug' longitudinally into the recess of the cylinder and then outagain before the cylinder has completed one revolution.

3. In a printing machine, the combination of a movable member provided with means for holding an address slug, a second movable member which is also provided with means for holding an 'address slug, and means for introducing an address slug into the embrace of the holding means of one member'and for transferring said slug into the embrace of the holding means of the other member, and for finally withdrawing said slug from the embrace of the last mentioned holding means.

4. In a printing machine, the combination of a movable member provided with means for holding an address slug, an envelop addressing member'movable concurrentl with the said member and bein also provided with means for holdingan address slug, and means ;for introducing an address slug into the embrace of'theholding means of the first mentioned member and for transferring said slug into the embrace of the holding means of the envelop addressing member; I

5. In a printing machine, the combination of a movable member having a recessadapted to receive an address slug, a second mem-, ber which is movable with the first member an'd'which also has a recess which is alined with the recess thereof, a support between said members having a bottom and rear edge which are alined with the bottoms and rear edges of said two recesses, means for de-' v movable member.

positing address slugs upon said support, and mechanism for moving each slug into and out of therecess in the first member and into and out of the recess in the other 7X 6.- In a letter printing machine, the combination of a rotatable printing drum having a longitudinal recess for the reception of an address slug, a fixed drumwithin said printing drum, a cam carried by said fixed drum, and means by which said cam will move a slug lengthwise of the printing drum into and out of the recess therein while the drum is rotating.

7. In a printingmachine, the combination of a rotatable drum having extending from one end thereof' a longitudinal recess for the reception of .an address slug, a curved slug support adjacent to the recessed end of that drum, the slug supporting surfaceadjacent to said recess being 1 n the same plane with the bottom of said'recess, an open bottom slug magazine fixed above said supdrum for engaging with the bottom slug in I said magazine to draw it out of the magazine and along with said moving drum, and means for moving said slug longitudinally into and out of said recess while the drum:

is rotating.

8. The combination ofa rotatable'hollow cylinder having a letter printing drum at one end and an envelop printing drum at the other and an intermediate recess, theletter printing drum having a longitudinal channel communicating with said recess and extending a. suitable distance lengthwise of said drum, and the envelop printing drum having a channel communicating with said' recess and extending from one end of the drum to the other, a fixed drum within the rotatable cylinder provided with a cam, a slug holding magazine fixed above the plane of the recess in said cylinder, and means wherebythe lower address slug in said magazine will be moved from said recess into the channel therefor in the letter printing drum, and then in the reverse direction across said recess into and through the channel therefor in the envelop printing drum.

9. The combination of a rotatable cylinder having a letter printing drum at one end and an'envelop printing drum at the other and a recessed portion between said drums, there being an abrupt shoulder at the rear end of said recess and therebeing in the letter printing drum a channel whose rear edge is alined with the rear edge of said recess, and there being in the envelop printing drum a channel whose rear edge is also.

alined with the rear edge of said recess and which extends from one end of said envelop printing drum to the other, an address-slug magazine fixed over the recessed part of'said rotatable cylinder, and means,

whereby the bottom slug in said magazine will, when it is withdrawn from said magazine, be moved lengthwise ofthe cylinder into the recess in the letter printing drum and then in the opposite direction into and through the recess in the envelop printing.

drum. I v

10. The combination of a rotatable cylinder having a letter printing drum at one 7 end and an envelop printing drum at, the other end and a recessed' part between said drums, said recess being extended longitudinally into theletter printing drum and entirely across the envelop printing drum, a fixed drum within the rotatable cylinder provided with a cam groove, a magazine fixed above the recessed part of said cylinder, a longitudinal slidecarri'edby the. ro-. tatable cylinder,. an arm radially movable throughsaid slideengaging at its inner end with said cam groove and adapted to engage at its'outerend with the bottom slug. 11. The combination of a rotatable cylinand an envelop printing drum at the other end and a recessed part between said drums,

said recess being extended longitudinally as a slug retaining channel into the letter printing drum and entirely across the envelop printing drum, and a longitudinal slot through the bottom of said recess, a fixed cylinder within the rotatable cylinder provided with an undercut cam groove, a magazine fixed above the recessed part of said cylinder, a longitudinalslide carried by the rotatable cylinder, an arm radially movable through said slide and having an enlarged head which fits in said cam groove and adapted to engage at its outer end with the bottom slug, said cam groove being deepened in some parts whereby it may move said arm radially inward and outward.

12. The combination of a rotatable drum having a longitudinal slug holding recess in 1ts surface, means for moving an address slug longitudinally into said recess, combined with two ribbon spools carried by said cylinder, a ribbon wound thereon, and deflectors over which said ribbon passes and by which it is guided so as to cover only a part of the printing surface on the slug in said recess. 5 I

13. In a printing machine, the combination of a movable member having a slug guide extending across the same, means for periodically depositing a slug upon said mem her, and means for moving said slug along said guide in one direction to a printing position on said member, and then in the opposite direction along said guide to another printing position, and then off said member.

14. In a printing machine, the combination of a movablemember having a transverse guide-way adapted to receive an address slug, a second member which is -movable with the first member and which also has a guide-way for the address slug, a slug support between said members having also in its surface a guide-way for said slug, which guide-way connects and is alined with the guide-way first mentioned, a slug hopper fixed above the supporting member, means carried by the supporting member for withdrawing the lowest slug from said hopper, and mechanism for moving the slug so withdrawn first in one direction into the gulde-way of the first mentioned member and then in the opposite direction along the guide-way in the supporting member into the guide-way on the other movable member.

15. The combination of a type-form-carrying member on which is a transverse slug guideway, a slug hopper fixed over said member, means for periodically delivering the bottom slug in the hopper onto said mem-v ber and into the embrace of the said' guideway thereon, and means for moving a d slug along said guideway to and leaving it temporarily immovable in a printing position, and for subsequently moving said slug away from said position and 011' said member.

16. The combination of a movable typeform-carrying member having a slug guideway which extends thereon in a direction relatively transverse to the direction in which said member moves, means for periodically depositing address slugs onto said member and into the embrace of said guideway, means for moving the slug along said guideway to and temporarily leaving it stationary in the required position relative to the part of said member on which the typeform may be secured, and for subsequently moving said slug along said guideway away from said position and off said member.

17. In a printing machine, the combination of a movable type supporting member having in its surface a slug guide-way which extends across the same to one edge thereof, a slug holder fixed above said member, means carried by said member for periodically withdrawing a slug from the holder, means for compelling said slug to move with the member, and means for moving the slug crosswise of the member in said guide-way.

to a printing position and then in the opposite direction across said member to the end of said guide-way.

i 18. The combination of a movable type carrying member, a slug holding hopper fixed above said member, means carried by said member for periodically withdrawing from said hopper the lowest slug therein, a transversely movable propeller on said member adapted to engage with the slug so withdrawn and to move it crosswise of said type carrying member, means for moving said propeller, and means for automatically disengaging the same from the slug.

19. The combination of a member whereon is a guideway for supporting and guiding address slugs, a hopper adapted for containing a stack of address slugs, means for withdrawing said slugs serially from said hopper and depositing them in the embrace of said guideway, and means for moving each of said slugs along said guideway to and temporarily leaving it in printing positions, and for subsequently moving it off of said member.

20. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for carrying a form for the body of a letter and a removable address form,.of two platens, and means whereby one cooperates with both the body and address and the other with the 4 lindrical member adapted to carry a form for the body of the letter and a removable address form, of two platens and means whereby one platen cooperates with both the body and address, and the other with the address only, whereby the machine may print addressed letters and corresponding envelops.

22. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for carrying a form for the body of the letter and a removable address form, of two rotary platens, and means whereby one cooperates with both the body and the address and the other with the address only, whereby the machine may print addressed letters, and corresponding envelops. J y

23. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a rotary cylindrical member adapted to carry rows of type with which to (print the body of a letter, and a removable a dress plate, of two platens cooperating with the cylindrical member while rotating to print by rollingrontact, and means whereby" one platen cooperates with both the body of the letter and the address plate and the other with the-address plate only whereby the machine may print addressed letters and corresponding envelops.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my H. R. SULLIVAN, 1 E. B. GILoHRIs'r. 

